


Call Out My Name

by YagamiBraun



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Violence, Canon Related, Character Death, Depression, Drama, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Kiba Inuzuka/Original Female Character - Freeform, Love Triangles, Multi, POV Original Female Character, Sasuke Uchiha/Original Female Character - Freeform, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:27:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23972992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YagamiBraun/pseuds/YagamiBraun
Summary: I never had a choice concerning my past. So, when finally faced with an independent choice, I didn't know how to make a decision. My heart and mind warred, so to speak, because I saw something in both of them that I recognized in... myself. But nothing was ever enough. Funny how I always wished I could make my own decisions, yet when the time came, I wanted to reverse that wish. Life had a funny way of playing out. I always knew I couldn't have the best of both worlds, I just didn't expect such an ugly reminder.
Relationships: Love Triangles - Relationship





	1. AUTHOR'S NOTE & GUIDELINES

**Author's Note:**

> This story is also available on Wattpad, with artwork included in chapters if you'd like visuals. My Wattpad username: black rain | @uchihaaa_san.

**Disclaimer** : Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. **However,** I own my OCs: Akane, Shikara, and Kanae.

** Please bare the following in mind: **

  * This story is modern and takes place in AU, so it will not follow the canon story. However, a few canon things will be incorporated into the story. Also, the characters still possess and use their individual jutsu in this story, but they are not shinobi, nor do they aim to be. They will simply follow normal career paths later in the story.



  * I know in canon, the Sand Siblings refer to themselves as 'Sabaku no Gaara/ Sabaku no Temari/ Sabaku no Kankuro', meaning 'of the Desert/Sand.' **However** , I've decided to use 'Sabaku' as the Kazekage Clan members' surnames, including the MC, Akane.



  * Akane is the youngest of the Sand Siblings. She is the twin sister of Gaara and possesses the same features as him. Her biography consists of a detailed description of her person.



  * Karura is deceased.



  * Yashamaru and Rasa are alive.



  * In this story, Sasori is a distant cousin of the Sand Siblings, but he and his parents have been residents of Konoha for a year prior to the beginning of this story.



  * Matsuri is also from Konoha in this story.



  * All Akatsuki members are originally from Konoha in this story. However, all members **excluding Obito, Itachi and Kisame** are students at Konoha High. In this story, Obito is a sensei at Konoha High, and a relative of Itachi and Sasuke. Kisame and Itachi already graduated from high school years ago.



  * This is set in the Shippuden timeline, so the Sand Siblings, Konoha 12 (Sai included), Taka and high school Akatsuki members are all among the ages of 15/16 and in the beginning of their Sophomore year in high school.



  * This story will run over a three-year period.



  * An epilogue will be included at the end of the story.



  * Kushina and Minato are alive, and Minato is still Hokage.



  * The Uchiha massacre never happened.



  * I know that Shisui is originally older than Itachi and obviously Sasuke, but that isn't the case in this story. In this story, Shisui is the same age as Sasuke and is the cousin of Itachi and Sasuke. Shisui also lives with them.



  * Itachi is 5 years older than Sasuke and Shishui.



  * I am aware that Gaara's DOB is January 19th, Temari's August 23rd, and Kankuro's May 15th. **However** , I altered their birth dates, because I wanted the two pairs to only be months apart in age, and not years like in canon.



  * That said, I took Gaara's original birth date(19th) and changed it to October 19th instead, as he and Akane are twins born on the same day.



  * Temari and Kankuro were both born 22 weeks premature, same day. So, I chose May 15th (Kankuro's original DOB) as their birthday, so that they're approximately 5 months older than Gaara and Akane. Whether the 5-month age difference makes sense or not doesn't matter. That applies to all age alterations in this story. It's just the way I want it to be.



  * This story will contain profanity, eventual smut, some yaoi and some yuri. If you're not into those things, don't read. Peace.



  * Thoughts will be _italicized._



  * **_∼_** ** _Flashback_** ** _∼_** will indicate that the text that follows is the flashback event(s) and will be _italicized._



  * This story is written in the **first-person narrative** and POV's will change between certain characters from time to time throughout.



  * Certain dialogue will be in Japanese throughout the story, because this obviously takes place in Japan. Please remember, I use Google Translate for this, so it may not be perfect translations. The English translations will be indicated in _italicized_ words between curly brackets. For example, "Kore wa kono fan damude wa kanzen ni mukankeidesuga, Rainā Buraun wa watashi no saikō no otokodeari, watashinojinsei e no aijōdesu _." {This is completely irrelevant in this fandom, but Reiner Braun is my best guy and the love of my life.}_



Tch, look at me, daydreaming about Reiner while working on fan fiction in the Naruto fandom. I'm ashamed for disrespecting my guy Naruto like that.

**PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ALTERATIONS WERE ALL MADE TO ACCOMMODATE THIS STORY AND ITS PLOT.**

Lastly, don't hesitate to comment. Enjoy the story. ♥

*** * ***


	2. Akane Sabaku - Biography

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A detailed description of the original main character: Akane Sabaku.  
> As the story progresses, she'll become more discernible as a person. A reader has a choice on how to perceive a character.

**Biography**.

Meaning of the name: _Brilliant Red._

Affiliation: Formerly Sunagakure, currently Konohagakure.

Clan: Kazekage.

Age: 15.

Date of birth: October 19th.

Zodiac sign: Libra.

Kekkei Genkai: Magnet Release.

Hobbies: Baking sweets and savories, Watching horrors and true crime, Reading, Sparring.

Likes: Strong coffee, Hoodies, Cold and rainy weather, Biology class, Blueberry muffins, Costumes, Grunge fashion, Teachers who look the other way, Video games, Lightning, Cats and dogs, Comedies, Dancing, Shogi, Red, Red lipstick, Messy buns, Red roses, Sports cars, Stuffed animals, Cream. 

Dislikes: Long travels, Pickup lines, Waiting for food, Cigarettes, Showoffs, Smell of detergents, Pessimists, Boys who wear their pants low, Wannabes, Being disturbed when reading, Musicals, Spring Cleaning. 

Favourite foods: Yakisoba noodles, Ramen, Dumplings, Hanami and Mitarashi dangos, Roasted chestnuts, Pizza, Burgers, Tacos, Chinese, Fries, Sushi, Smoothies, Fruit. 

Least favourite foods: Spicy food, Cabbage, Cauliflower.

Jutsu: Gold Dust Manipulation.

\- Magnet Release: Gold Dust Imperial Funeral.  
\- Third Eye.  
\- Shield Of Gold Dust.  
\- Gold Dust Coffin.  
\- Gold Dust Hail.  
\- Air Gold Dust Protective Wall.  
\- Gold Dust Drizzle.  
\- Armour of Gold Dust.  
\- Gold Dust Suspension.  
\- Prison Gold Dust Burial.  
\- Gold Dust Binding.  
\- Gold Dust Clone.  
\- Gold Dust Shuriken.  
\- Gold Dust Sensing.  
\- Gold Dust Bullet.  
\- Wind Release: Infinite Gold Dust Cloud - Great Breakthrough.  
-Water Release: Water Blade Technique.

Basically, Akane possesses the exact same jutsu as Gaara, including some of Rasa's jutsu, except that she utilizes Gold Dust (like Rasa) instead of Sand. However, some of these jutsu are only acquired and developed later in the story. 

**∗ ∗ ∗**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a specific theme song for this story, hence the title. Try to keep it in mind when reading chapters.  
> Theme song: Call Out My Name - The Weeknd.


	3. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse into Rasa's perspective.

** Rasa’s POV. **

I stride to my office in feeble anguish, a pensive expression glued to my face. I wasn't exactly feeling gaiety about what I was about to declare to the Council. My mind warred with my heart to say the least. Qualms racked through my head, premonition settling in the recesses of my mind as I entered the canton.

Then again, I'd given enough fucks throughout the years. Priorities change.

Although the Seniors were surprised due to my presence on my self-declared leave day, they immediately bristled from their seats to acknowledge me before a deluge of them, voices incoherent in unison, bombarded me with seamless paperwork.

"Lord Kazekage—"

I raised my hand dismissively, subduing everyone in my periphery. Everyone immediately retreated docile to their seats. Their expectations couldn't have been more erroneous. Steely eyed, I made a beeline towards a respected elder of the Council, Ebizo, who was pensively analyzing documents sprawled out before him.

A whim to rescind my decision crossed my mind, but I pushed the thought back into a deep corner, and it died quickly.

Ebizo, now along with the rest of the Seniors, stared at me with sharp, inquisitive eyes.

"Lord Kazekage?" Baki asked, voice laced with curiosity as the room awaited my orders expectantly.

Moments later, after relaying my thoughts, feelings and decisions to the Council, Baki slammed his hand onto the table before him in shock, staring at me as if I'd just provoked Gaara into unleashing Shukaku onto the village, unable to control his disconcerted voice. "What do you _mean_ you're resigning as Kazekage?"

I responded rather solemnly as I placed the Kazekage hat before him. "This is necessary." I said firmly, handing the signed documents to Baki as confirmation of my family's planned emigration. My decision would not waver.

Ebizo chimed in. "Rasa, you have a responsibility toward your village. Your people need you. Twenty years and you're just backing out? This is unlike you. I implore you to think about the repercussions," the desperation in his voice was crystal clear. 

My attention averted towards the elder, my eyes frigid. I indubitably predicted that they'd use the village as a deterrent. How dare they, especially a highly respected elder, accuse me of chickening out of my responsibilities? Did they not hear themselves? Did the twenty years I resided as Kazekage not deserve deference? Frankly, I was on the brim of losing my composure at their impudence. I had bigger fish to fry, specifically four: Temari, Kankuro, Gaara and Akane.

"I'd like to think I have a responsibility towards my children as well," I stated, quite aware of my stern tone. As I said before, my decision would not falter. 

Tojuro chimed in facetiously. "I must say, Rasa, I'm shocked to say the least," his arms folded across his chest, oblivious to Baki's glare. "This is a rather impulsive decision, don't you think? Are you implying that the well-being of our village isn't tantamount to the well-being of your family?" he incited.

Immediately, I defenestrated my tolerance for bullshit, my anger skyrocketing through the roof. My gold dust wittingly unfurled, grasping Tojuro by the shirt, levitating him. My eyes turned to slits at his insolence. The fucker knew his words would ruffle my feathers, and well so. The rat didn't know his place. He stared at me through panicked eyes, but I had let the fucker impose his beliefs on the village youth long enough through abuse of his power and authority… especially my youngest son. I wish I could undo that. That was just one among many of my past regrets that I wished I could undo or do differently. Even though I couldn’t, it wasn't too late to set the rat straight one last time. His impudence needed to be tamed.

"Now, you're dissatisfied with my decision? That's too fucking bad, but you _will_ respect it, _child_."

My grip on Tojuro released, the younger male immediately gasping for air and straightening himself out as the room fell silent, nobody daring to disrespect me in any further shape or form.

As unsettled as Baki was by the news, he bowed his head as I retreated past him to take my permanent leave. "It's been an honour, Rasa."

I caught a hint of sadness in his tone, but I honestly didn’t know why. I briefly nodded, acknowledging my protege. I always bore mutual respect for Baki. This was a man who stuck at my side through everything, be it professional or personal. He even went to the lengths of assisting in training my children as they grew up. He treated them as his own, and he had made it evident that he was proud of the people they grew up to be. For that, I was eternally grateful. 

"The honour’s been mine. I trust that you'll come to a covenant in appointing a suitable Kazekage." I shared a last lingering gaze with Baki, my eyes filled with respect and appreciation. Truthfully, my heart was torn over my decision, but I knew that this would be for the best... for the sake of my children. Hell, even for the sake of that annoying, childish brother-in-law of mine. This had to be done. I needed to save them before I lost any more.

My departing words to Baki were, "Watashi wa eien ni anata no shakkin o shite iru. Anata no mae ni shuppatsu shite sumimasen.” _{I am forever in your debt. Sorry for leaving before you.}_

**∗ ∗ ∗**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess he has his reasons, doesn't he?


	4. Abandon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Sometimes in the waves of change, we find our true direction."   
> -Unknown. 
> 
> However, there are certain things that you can change around you, but not within you.

** Akane’s POV. **

_ Sunday, January 5th. _

_When will this fucking drive end?_ I internally groaned, growing increasingly frustrated. I hadn’t expected Konoha to be this far away from home. In fact, it's been so long that despite drowning myself in music —something I always found solace in during travels —was merely ineffective this time around. The incessant time seemingly devoured the comfort my music usually provided.

It led me to mentally sulk in discomfort, causing me to reminisce about my past life, the one we had just abandoned. The music continued playing but my consciousness had been so far gone, my mind suddenly clouded by nostalgia, that I'd completely forgotten that the music was playing in my ears altogether.

This was exactly why I disliked long travels. Sure, music would entertain me for a few hours, but it could only entertain me for so long before I'd grow bored of hearing the same lyrics I'd listened to time and time again. Those were the exact moments I'd subconsciously drown it out and mentally find myself in space, exactly as I was doing at this very moment.

I sighed, feeling a little sadness wash over me. I longed for my mother’s tender presence. All of us did, but it'd remain a mere consuming desire.

A visual image flashed through my mind of where our mother's tombstone lay buried in Sunagakure. I felt disappointment, inappropriate as it may have been. My mother couldn't help that she succumbed to death after birthing quadruplets into the world…

My thoughts deepened. It must've been excruciatingly painful. The thought of delivering two pairs of children between intervals of mere months caused me to internally shudder. Cruel as it may have been, I couldn't pin the blame on the medical practitioners who attempted their utmost to resuscitate my mother but failed to do so. The world was cruel. That couldn’t be denied. But if we chose to lessen our grief by playing the blame game with anybody, we’d never fully make peace with it.

I knew I wasn't the only one among my kin who experienced these feelings of hollowness and longing regularly. There was Gaara. Although he remained indifferent ever since he hit puberty, I knew that it ached him to the core… like it did me. Like it did Temari. Like it did Kankuro. Like it did Yashamaru. Like it did… Rasa.

Back in Suna, I had occasionally caught Gaara in our parents’ room, sobbing his eyes out whenever our father was absent, the truth still impenetrable within him. Growing up in the house that our mother used to live in was what constantly reminded us that she was no longer there. Permanently gone. Forever. Although each of us dealt with the everlasting pain in our own ways, it wasn’t something that any of us willingly shared with anybody. Everybody had their own coping mechanism.

Even though we were merely toddlers during our mother's duration in our lives, we could never forget her scent since she held each of us for the first time. When she played with us. Laughed with us. Kissed us and embraced us. When she held our hands. Fed us. When she sang lullabies to us whenever she pleased. Helped us to take our first steps. Held her arms out for us to run into. Taught us to speak; to say Mom, Dad, Uncle, Sensei, please, and thank you. The best thing she taught us, was how to love. We were too young to understand her suffering back then, but what we knew and understood ever since birth, was that she was the most beautiful being. We _knew_ her, even though it was just for three years before death came —cruel as he was —to take her. And our lives had changed ever since. Permanently.

My father's loving smile was unforgettable when he first welcomed each of us into the world, eternally imprinted into my memories, but that was the last time I remember ever seeing my father smile so sincerely, so heart-warming. He was no longer the man he had portrayed during those years. We knew he loved us, but he wasn't the expected, typical dad. Rasa wasn't the type of father who engaged in every aspect of our lives. He wasn't the type to shower us with affection or even spoil the shit out of us or anything like that, no, that was our uncle Yashamaru's habit that he quite seemed to relish in, but Rasa provided all the same. He was an authoritarian patriarch. Brilliant even. But warmth was not his forte.

I sighed exasperatingly. I'd been timing the road trip for approximately twelve hours and twenty-two minutes, realizing that our travels were consuming just over half of the day. My father hasn't said a word to anyone the entire drive, other than to occasionally ask if we wanted to make a pit-stop for food or needed to use a restroom. His hard, yet illegible eyes attentive on the road ahead the entire time.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Temari and Kankuro arm-wrestling on the central armrest between them, with Temari having the upper hand —because she was sneaky like that —and Kankuro refusing to lose to his sister, obviously because of his Sabaku and male pride combined. They cackled among themselves as they tried to overpower each other. Gaara, silent as always, kept to himself with his eyes on the road, paying no attention to Temari's victorious roaring in the seat behind him. He seemed to be deep in thought, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was roaming his mind. Whatever it was, his expression seemed disturbed.

Kankuro looked mind-fucked at his hand as if it had betrayed him, seemingly bewildered and disappointed that it wasn't strong enough to overpower Temari. I couldn't resist an amused smirk. I'd never tell Kankuro this because he’d certainly jump my head if I honestly admitted it, but to be honest, I was entirely rooting for Temari, of course. She was my elder and only sister, and sisters had to stick together. She may have been feminine, but she had scary strength alright. Also, because girl power was clearly the real deal.

I shifted next to Gaara and continued staring through the window at the dominantly green scenery we passed, mentally singing along to one of my favourite songs; ‘On & On’ by Cartoon featuring Daniel Levi.

Suddenly, our Range Rover came to a halt in front of an extensive double gate, and I noticed two uniformed men trotting towards Rasa's window, one holding up a hand to signify the halt. I mentally pleaded that we had finally reached Konoha. I'd endured enough sitting around on one spot for hours on end. Hell, I wasn't even sure whether I still had an ass anymore.

My wish came to fruition when I noticed the Hidden Leaf insignia proudly posing atop the gigantic gate. Rasa exchanged formalities with the duo before we continued our route. Yashamaru remained silent as he rode shotgun, grinning at Rasa excitedly, who simply ignored him.

 _Yashamaru-san is so childlike,_ I inwardly chuckled.

We disembarked a few minutes later. Temari grinned, gripping her giant fan. "Alright! We're here!"

An exhale escaped me, and I smiled in relief. "Finally. I thought we'd never arrive. Felt like a never-ending road,"

Kankuro ruffled my hair like he always did. The reason beats me. " _Finally,_ that lousy look’s disappeared off your face, kiddo," he fixed his puppets over his shoulder.

I sent him a bored look. "I'm not a kiddo. We're _five months_ apart," I couldn’t resist the urge to roll my eyes at my brunette brother. No sibling of mine annoyed me quite like Kankuro did. To my dismay, the annoyance he induced in me was something he took great pride in. Most times, I suppressed the urge to punch him in the face. Although I loved the dork to death, I'd never openly admit that. His head is swelled enough as it is, already too heavy for his physique. The uneven distribution of weight between his big ass head and lean body might just cause his neck to snap one of these days. It wouldn’t surprise me.

Murmurs and conversation buzzed throughout the streets of Konoha as people privately went about their business, some occasionally glancing at us, the clearly fresh off the boat family. The scenery was so, so different compared to Suna’s. The air smelt so clean due to all the lush, tall trees inhabiting most of the terrain. The houses were also more contemporary in style than the houses back in Suna. Streets were tidy, and birds chirped as they went about their travels. Konoha was beautiful, that I couldn’t deny, and it was home now.

Yashamaru grinned, ushering us towards the affluent looking house posing before our eyes, the place we'd call home for as long as we remained in our father's care. I was still surprised about my father's sudden decision to relinquish the Kazekage title, having resided for as long as I could remember. When questioned about his reasons, Rasa insisted that he owed us no explanation. My father unsurprisingly hadn't taken the time to consider our opinions on the matter. It was _exactly_ his character to disregard anybody's opinion irrespective of anything. As inconvenient and inconsiderate as it may have felt at the time, having to leave everything we had ever known behind, I came to view my father's decision in a different light today. Our mother would've wanted us to be happy, instead of living in haunting of her permanent absence.

"Father, has everything been arranged?"

Gaara's occasional speech between seemingly weekly intervals always somehow managed to surprise everybody except myself and our father. I knew Gaara as a man of few words, speaking only when he found the conversation relevant or significant. Although, I was uncertain whether I preferred this version of him, or a more engaging one. When I pondered on it, I concluded that I much rather preferred a more engaging Gaara, but I grew to accept his nature. In reference to Rasa, the apple didn't fall far from the tree in the least.

"It has, boy."

The concrete walls of the house were a light golden colour and contemporary sconces hung on each pillar. Japanese topiary lined the pathways. The ornate double door was black and gold, with gold patterns stretching across the black canvas like tree branches. The spacious garage stood on the right side of the front gate, protected by an additional gate. Chrysanthemums, himawari and suiren gracefully flaunted their beauty between the luscious grass, the vivid colours of the flowers animating the garden.

I inhaled deeply as I outstretched my arms, following our tour guide Yashamaru into our new home. Gaara silently followed behind me with his arms crossed in their usual position. Kankuro and Temari on the other hand, hastened through the threshold and were attempting to shove the daylights out of each other as they barred their teeth like provoked, hungry wolves.

“—And don’t you dare try to claim the fanciest room! You and your filthy pig manners don’t need to have the best room just to turn it into a pig’s sty!” Temari barked at him.

“Ack! Quit shoving me already!” Kankuro barked in retaliation, his hypocrisy on full display as he shoved her back while yelling at her to quit. “Oh please! As if your lame ass would even need the best room! You wouldn’t even put all that space to good use! I need the biggest room for my man cave!”

I sighed. _Will these two ever quit jumping down each other’s throats? I swear, they’re not safe around each other. Acting like fucking hangry hyenas around each other all the time._

I shook my head. “Oh, for Kami’s sake! Give it a rest already!” I interjected as I rolled my eyes, throwing my head back in exasperation, desperately wanting them to quit aiming for each other’s throats already. Gaara twitched in annoyance at their barbaric antics but didn’t voice anything. My attention immediately diverted from the hangry hyenas as I absorbed the interior in admiration. It was quite open planned, fully furnished and elegantly so. This was thanks to my father and Yashamaru’s advanced arrangements prior to our arrival. It was quite beautiful.

“Now, now. No need to fight over rooms, kids,” our Uncle waved his hands in dissuasion to extinguish Temari and Kankuro’s fire underneath their asses. “You’ll know it when you see it.” he gave us his signature warm smile.

“Hey! Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Rasa addressed us hoarsely, clearly unimpressed, causing us to bristle in our tracks. “And who the hell do you think are going to carry your luggage inside? Get back here this instant!” our father barked.

Yashamaru appeared at his side immediately, lifting baggage into his own arms. My siblings and I retreated to the car to retrieve our belongings before our father could bite our heads off this time. I moved to rummage the boot for my belongings, but Gaara held his hand out in front of me to stop me. “It’s fine, Sister. I’ll take care of it. You can go on ahead inside,” his voice was ever so gentle when speaking to me. Rasa cocked a brow at Gaara but didn’t intervene as he continued gathering more luggage.

“Are you sure, Brother?” I asked, feeling slightly guilty about the idea of Gaara carrying all my belongings to whichever room I’d occupy.

“Yes, Akane.” he reassured, addressing me by my actual name. That’s how I knew he was serious and not in a position to be swayed. He usually addressed me as ‘Sister’ whenever he was calm and collected —which was most of the time —but whenever he was stern, I’d be addressed by my birth name.

“Thank you, Brother,” I gave him a gentle smile and a light peck on the cheek before retreating inside once again. I smiled to myself as I refamiliarized myself with the house.

After surveying the areas around the house, I discovered an immaculate, cylindrical glass elevator in the curve of the staircase. _Hell yeah._ Don’t get me wrong, I preferred to climb stairs to help maintain my shape, but I wasn’t going to complain about the elevator that’d spare my energy at times. The house was massive, and simply immaculate. I felt at home already... or did I?

Temari joined me just before the elevator shut its doors, beaming like a little kid in a candy store as we ascended. “Hell yes! This house is so cool! I can’t wait to beat that motherfucker to choosing a room!” She was obviously referring to Kankuro.

“He’s carrying your luggage. Be nice.” I said sternly, stepping out of the elevator and walking in whichever direction my legs decided to carry me.

Temari followed, looking slightly sheepish. “Of course, you’ve got a fair point. He’s still a _kind_ motherfucker,”

“Don’t exaggerate,” I laughed as we walked, before noticing a white door with my name on, engraved in gold on a small black steel plate. _Ah, so this is what Yashamaru-san meant when he said we didn’t have to fight over rooms. They’ve already been picked for us_. This was most likely done in advance to prevent an argument breaking out over rooms. Both Yashamaru and Rasa clearly didn’t have time or energy for such trivial quarrels, and I agreed with them in that sense. Temari bolted past me in gaiety when she noticed her own name on a door across the hall.

My room’s theme colour was a blend of burgundy, white, black, and light grey. My sheets were blended of the former colours, while the walls were light grey. Two singular burgundy sofas were situated at the foot of my bed, each with a small white and black cushion resting on them. Above my wooden headboard hung a big painting. The canvas of the painting was white while the eye of a hurricane itself was painted in black, posing in the centre of the canvas. My walk-in closet was quite spacious as well. I assumed we all had this luxury. A big ass flat screen was attached to the wall opposite the foot of my bed, with a study desk a few feet away from it. On each side of my bed were bedside drawers, each supporting a cream-coloured lamp and one with the extra weight of a damn telephone. Additionally, there were small lights embedded into the tiny, dispersed recesses in the ceiling. I sighed contentedly as I slipped my shoes off, being careful of the fluffy white carpet as I did so. I didn’t know whether my father or uncle was responsible for this colour arrangement, but damn, they had taste. The only icing on the cake that was absent was a ‘Fuck Off’ mat at the entrance of my door. I’d need to have that arranged.

"Akane," Temari appeared out of thin air, admiring my new room. "Wow! Your room's really pretty," she grinned. "Mine’s across the hall, neighbour. It’s so purple!" Her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had a mental reminder. "Oh! You've gotta check out the backyard! It's crazily spacious, perfect for sparring!"

Gaara's indifferent voice suddenly filled the room, causing Temari to jump slightly as he walked over with my boxed belongings. "It’s pretty neat for a backyard,"

“Thank you, Brother,” I shyly smiled up at him, patting the spot on my bed for him to sit.

"Gaara! Don't sneak up on us like that!" Temari shot him a glare, throwing her hands on her hips.

"Hey, you ass," Kankuro's voice came out of thin air behind Temari before Gaara could respond, resulting in her springing back even more than when Gaara appeared. “I dumped your shit in your room.” She shrieked in frustration, smacking Kankuro behind the head in reflex. "Ouch, Temari! Gee," he groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "You hit like a girl."

"No shit, idiot," she rolled her eyes. "That'll teach you," she continued, now sticking her nose in the air. "Don't underestimate the strength of your elder sister! And damn, you could’ve at least placed them nicely, lazy bum.”

He twitched in annoyance. “Are you for real? Says the person who sat on her ass while I carried her heavy shit. I nearly broke my back, you loser,” Kankuro rolled his eyes. "Let's test your _imaginary_ strength then. I want a rematch in arm-wrestle!"

 _Now they’re having two damn conversations._ I sighed.

A smirk graced her lips. "Ha! I’m not surprised. Your loss in our match earlier already proved how weak you are. So, you’re itching to _lose_ _again_ just like you did earlier?" she scoffed mockingly. "Well, it'll only be humiliating for you after all, Kankuro. Let's do it!"

Kankuro’s face scrunched up in absolute rage. Kami, it was hilarious seeing how Temari always got under his skin. I almost wanted to pitifully laugh at his enraged expression. They locked hands on my desk, but before they could engage in their rematch, my telephone suddenly rang. We exchanged perplexed glances, Kankuro and Temari's hands locked in initiation.

"I wonder who the hell that could be," I pondered aloud, cocking a brow before I answered. "Hello?"

"Come down for some lunch you all," Yashamaru’s voice came. I could practically _hear_ him grinning on the other line. He sounded rather impressed with himself for reasons only he was aware of.

We sweat dropped at his histrionics and I rolled my eyes. "Seriously? Why couldn't you just come up and call us, Yashamaru-san?"

"Akane-chan, have you _seen_ the actual size of this house? Hell, I'm so beat from that road trip, I'm not sure my legs are even mobile anymore," I repeated an eye roll on the other end of the line. _So dramatic, honestly._ "No way am I walking a marathon up to your room just to call you lot for lunch. Just come on down." he hung up. He either already forgot about the elevator or he was just too darn lazy to even do that.

Yashamaru sipped on his coffee, occupied with Sabaku Gold business on his laptop as we emerged into the kitchen, pizza awaiting us on the table. The company was technically my father’s, but he allowed so much authority to my uncle that it was like Yashamaru himself owned the business. It seemed like they were both satisfied with their business arrangement though. Their company’s been a continental leader in the Gold business for the past decade and earned itself quite a polished reputation.

"Thanks, Yashamaru-san," I said, my eyes scanning the room. "Where's my father?"

"He said he had some important matters to discuss with the Hokage," Yashamaru replied. "So, onto other important matters; how are you all feeling about your first day of public-school tomorrow?" he inquired in interest, although he didn't look up, his fingers still scrolling the mouse. "Your school uniforms and shoes were delivered a few minutes ago, by the way. They're on the couch."

Temari's facial expression was hard and unusual. "Well, it isn't the usual home-school we're used to, but what choice do we have?" her voice hinted that she hoped for Yashamaru to offer an alternative.

Kankuro chuckled, slightly furrowing his brows as he threw his arm over her shoulder. "Aw, come on, Temari! It can't be that bad," It was a weak attempt to feed her unenthusiastic attitude about the reality.

"I know you guys aren't in the least familiar with public school," he paused to chuckle lightly, his undivided attention now on us. He was serious. "but to be entirely honest with you, we'd much rather prefer you attend one. That's why we enrolled you. It'll allow you to physically interact with other people. In the real world, communication skills are essential, and not just when it comes to your family. Trust me on this," he assured, very certain of his words. “You’ll thank us before all of this is over.”

Temari sighed, her expression vague, illegible. "Oh, will we?"

**∗ ∗ ∗**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will they, Yashamaru?


	5. No Leaf Clover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We are torn between nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. As often as not, we are homesick most for the places we have never known.”  
> \- Carson McCullers.

** Akane’s POV. **

_ Monday, January 6th. _

Let's face it. Moving at the end of the week? Not such a great idea. I spent the rest of yesterday unpacking my clothes and organizing my shit to pass time and just get it sorted out at once.

Hell, I'd have to prepare myself. I'd assertively demand respect. As a daughter of the former Fourth Kazekage, it'd be an injustice to our clan's reputation should I, or any Sabaku, be a pushover. I could speak for my siblings in this aspect too. I knew Temari was just as strongly dignified as I was, intolerant of disrespect. She'd probably chew out anybody who dared to disrespect her. Kankuro had zero tolerance as well. Gaara, well, he's always had the faculty of this deadly stare that'd effortlessly shut the perpetrator up somehow. I had absolutely zilch idea how, but it must've been Gaara's resolution to strike fear into the person's heart. However, none of us ever allowed our physicality to consume the best of us. Deep down, although strongly dignified, we simply weren't programmed to behave like barbarians, despite Rasa constantly emphasizing his desire for more _hard-ass_ offspring. Apparently, we were too soft for his liking, but there was a time and a place for everything.

Hell, I was still so physically exhausted. I wondered if I'd ever acclimatize to the foreign routine I'd start practicing from today onward. Being home-schooled for eight years of my life surely disfavoured me at this point in time.   
It was already 07:10 a.m. and I barely felt less tired than the previous night. How the hell did students, or anybody, manage to get out of bed and prepare for work or school daily before this time —two, three hours earlier? How the hell would I manage this shit every day?

Even if I wished to catch up on sleep after school hours, I honestly disliked sleeping during broad daylight. It was never my thing. For some reason, my body simply refused to shut down during the day. I couldn't exactly speak for my siblings. We obviously had different sleeping patterns. Kankuro slept like a bear in hibernation. Temari was diurnally inclined just like Gaara and I.

I sighed wearily, ruffling my disobedient crimson hair as if to shake the fatigue out of my head somehow. I needed at least five more minutes in bed to ponder how tired I was, and then a strong cup of coffee to fully awaken my senses. Definitely a strong cup of coffee.

"Get up, boy. _Get up._ " I heard my father growl across the hall. Rasa was obviously patrolling the hallway to keep us in check.

I just _knew_ it was Kankuro annoying our father. Gaara didn't value sleeping to the extent that Kankuro did. I could practically _feel_ my father's murky aura emanating the walls as he sauntered with his arms crossed past my door, obviously unimpressed. As usual.

 _Welp, that’s my cue._ I immediately yanked the covers off myself, stuffed my hair into a messy bun and made a beeline towards the bathroom for my daily hygienic routine. I emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later, black towel still wrapped around my glistening body as I stepped into my closet to change into my school uniform. My hair hung in its usual sleek style, falling loosely around my waist. I was one to take pride in my appearance. Of course, who didn't want to look good at least most of the time, if not all the time? If you looked good, you felt good, and if you felt good, you did good. All the factors were interlinked, and confidence and a good mindset was key.

"Finish up." I overheard my father order as I entered the kitchen.

 _Wow, 'Officer' Rasa on high patrol._ _Rather strict if you ask me._ I struggled to suppress a chuckle, although soft enough for only me to hear. _Father must be passionate about this new system, whatever it's like._ _Whatever makes today so deserving of his attention?_ He usually never gave a fuck about anything that didn’t concern Sabaku Gold.

Judging by Rasa's tone, his patience was wearing thinner by the minute. "These children are _clearly_ not familiar with external education," He shook his head pessimistically.

"Well _duh_. We can't be familiar with something we've _never_ been exposed to," Kankuro retaliated audaciously, earning a frigid glare from Rasa as if daring Kankuro to speak again. His mouth sealed shut without another word. I sniggered. Aah shit. Formidable as my father was, he was also so funny in my eyes. He probably wasn’t aware of the latter though because he never intended to be funny. His intent was to instill discipline, respect and submission, but the way he went about it was amusing to me. He hated clownish behaviour. 

I seated myself next to Gaara, pouring a cup of freshly brewed black coffee as I acknowledged my family and the full breakfast table.

Rasa's attention suddenly shifted from Kankuro to me. "You almost overslept. Let it _not_ happen again, Akane. I don't care what keeps any of you up at night or what time you desire to wake up, but you _will_ wake up at seven or earlier. You’ll get nowhere by relaxing all the time," his eyes were fixated on us, deadly stern. "The principal requested you be there slightly earlier today. You will meet with the principal beforehand. _Do not_ be late. It wouldn't leave a good impression." And with that, my father disappeared without another word, leaving an intensified morning atmosphere behind. We heard his Range Rover pull out of the garage as we continued to eat in silence.

Yashamaru then broke the ice, smiling warmly at us. “Don’t worry about him. He’s just being his usual grumpy self,” His smile widened as he finished his coffee. “On a brighter note, you’ll probably see Sasori-kun today. You might even be in the same class,”

I suddenly remembered that our cousin also attended Konoha High for the past year, and a grin broke out across my face. I, my siblings, and Sasori were as thick as thieves ever since we were kids.

“Yeah!” I squealed, throwing my arms up in excitement, a slice of toast lingering between my teeth. After finishing our breakfast, I slung my crimson backpack over my shoulder, heading towards the porch as I awaited my entourage. Yashamaru emerged from the kitchen swiftly after and tossed each of us our own copy of the house keys before he hopped into his car.

“Have a good day, kids! And Temari, play nice!” he exclaimed before disappearing down the street in his Audi. She rolled her eyes at his remark as we exited the gates.

Many adolescents heading in the same direction passed us. The tone among them radiated lazily, the blended buzzing of husky and high-pitched voices filling the streets of Konoha. Stalls stood cheerily alongside the streets, determined to produce sales for the day. Two ANBU patrolled the area between silent chatter and swift change of location, on the lookout for anything suspicious, although there were no signs of a breach anywhere.

A trio consisting of two guys and a girl silently sauntered ahead of our squad. One guy was tall, fair-skinned with thick brown locks, wearing tinted round spectacles. The girl, of average height and had crystal-clear porcelain skin. She resembled a beautiful porcelain doll with her long midnight blue hair and eyes such a light grey, a few shades shy of white. The other guy's height balanced between the girl and aforementioned guy's height. He too, had messy chocolate locks, but he was rather tan. He had a small red fang stroke on both of his cheeks. He strolled silently beside them with his hands relaxing in his pockets. Suddenly, he rotated his head to meet my oceanic orbs, our eye contact lasting a matter of seconds, before he swiftly snapped his head forward and downward to follow a trail of tiny white paws that trotted about his shoulder. The porcelain beauty suddenly stole a glance back at me, smiling shyly with cheeks tinted pink, before she too, snapped her head forward again as they continued to walk off.

I glanced at the back of the girl's head strangely, narrowing my eyes. Why had she sent me such a bizarre look? My eyes automatically fell on my garments, scanning for anything unusual or comical, but there was nothing out of place.

I shrugged it off.

**—**

** Kiba’s POV. **

The second our eyes met, I felt my blood rush to my cheeks, and I broke the eye contact to prevent her from seeing my now tomato-red cheeks. _Kami. Who is that girl?_ I had never seen her before, or any of the people she walked beside. They seemed to be walking together, even though they didn’t conversate. I wondered if they were all acquainted.

That girl… she was so beautiful… and she had the most gorgeous red hair I had ever seen. Those big, bright aquamarine orbs of hers immediately left me dazed. I almost stared for too long, but I couldn’t allow her to see how instantly flustered I became. Of course, I couldn’t hide it from everyone…

To my dismay, Hinata immediately noticed me blushing and stole a glance back at the girl. _What the hell is she doing? She’ll make us look like creeps...!_

I didn’t want the poor girl to be weirded out before we even became acquainted. I wanted to get to know her... no, I _had_ to get to know her. Hinata smiled at me knowingly, and I didn’t like it…

**—**

** Akane’s POV. **

The remainder of the walk was rather silent. As usual, Gaara kept to himself. Temari and I admired the dominantly lush scenery we passed, while Kankuro whistled stupidly along the way until Temari demanded he shut up.

I inhaled deeply when we reached Konoha High, immediately trying to familiarize myself with my new daily environment. This would be my routine for the next three years, whether I successfully acclimatized or not. That applied to all four of us. This was it. I already felt like a fish out of water.

"The Principal's office must be in the main building. This sounds like a complete drag, but let's get it over with," Temari's teal eyes beamed with nervousness and excitement simultaneously.

The hallway led past an inestimable number of duplicated doors, with certain doors containing a small middle window to allow transparency into the rooms. In the blink of an eye, a yellow flash sped in our direction, abruptly stopping dead in their tracks when Temari's hand gripped the stranger's tie. 

"Hey. _You,_ " Temari addressed a little more aggressively than necessary. "Would you mind directing us to the Principal's office?"

The whiskered blond guy stared at her with puzzled oceanic pools, his tan cheeks slightly reddened.

"Eh?" was all he managed to stagger out before he frantically shook his head as if snapping out of a trance. He stared back and forth between Temari and the rest of us for a few seconds, processing her seemingly incomprehensible question. Suddenly, he grinned wider than I had ever personally seen. "Oh! Yeah sure! Further down to your left, then the first door on your right! You can’t go wrong with that chest of hers!" he exclaimed loudly, seemingly amused before sprinting off swifter than he came before we could delay him with any further queries, leaving us in abrupt confusion.

"Eh?" Temari's arm found its way back to its usual position on her hip as she stood and turned to us in absolute bewilderment.

Kankuro rubbed his ear, grimacing. "Gee, does that guy have a loudspeaker down his throat or somethin'?"

Gaara narrowed his eyes. "His grin alone gave me a headache,"

I chuckled, ignoring my brothers' complaining. "Were those actual whisker scars on his cheeks?" a light-hearted laugh escaped my lips. "It's adorable!" That wasn’t something I saw every day.

Kankuro's face distorted in disbelief. "What could possibly be adorable about whisker scars on a human face?" he rolled his eyes. "His imagination of living a cat life is wild," his voice was soaked in mockery.

"Don't be absurd, Kankuro. That's obviously not it. There must be a specific reason behind it..." Gaara narrowed his eyes knowingly, a possible explanation seemingly on his mind. "And Akane loves cats. It's rather obvious that she'd think it’s... cute," Gaara murmured, abasement detectable in his voice as if to imply that Kankuro was ignorant of obvious information.

Temari simply rolled her eyes, finding nothing significant about anything we were babbling about. "Shut the hell up." she hissed as she knocked on the halfway open door. The label on the door stated, ‘Principal Senju.’

The platinum blonde lady abruptly looked up from her swamped desk, nodding in acknowledgment. "Enter,"

We respectfully bowed in greeting as soon as we entered.

"Good morning. I'm Principal Tsunade," the woman introduced sternly. "You must be the Sabaku’s, yes?"

"Correct, Tsunade-san," Temari nodded.

Tsunade cleared her throat, her expression harder than before as she reached into the drawer beside her, pulling out a stash of documents. "Here's a booklet for each of you. This booklet is essential to a comfortable lifestyle here at Konoha High, I assure you," she said sternly, as if to imply that serious consequences lie ahead should anybody dare to lose their booklet. "The booklet consists of five pages; a map around campus, your class schedules, including your locker number and location, Konoha High's code of conduct, clubs and policies, and lastly, a classroom registration form that's mandatory to return _signed_ to your homeroom sensei, who'll handle the rest of it," she concluded, staring at us with steely amber eyes. "Any further inquiries are to be directed to me. Dismissed." She was obviously a busy woman. She couldn't invest too much time in student introductions. After briefly thanking Tsunade with a bow, we exited the office and filled out our forms at a nearby desk.

"I've got Kakashi-sensei for homeroom," I said, eyes still scanning over the pages.

"He's my homeroom sensei too, Sister," Gaara replied without glancing up from his schedule.

"Wow, really? Me three," Kankuro smirked, hands resting behind his head.

Temari sighed before rolling her eyes for the thousandth time today. "You have _got_ to be kidding me," she facepalmed.

"We're _all_ in the same class? _Fancy_ ," Kankuro gesticulated fancy shaking hands. He seemed rather pleased with the fact that he'd have the opportunity to annoy the hell out of us on a daily basis, both at home and during school. "At least we'll have each other's backs," his voice contained a hint of mockery as he smirked.

I rolled my eyes at him. "We're not incapable of taking care of ourselves. Take a chill pill, Your Honour."

Temari shot him a glare. "This is going to be three years of hell."

I gently knocked on the door when we reached our assigned homeroom, peeking through the window to see a white-haired man lazily avert his gaze towards the door.

"Enter," he muttered as he leaned against his desk, a small green book in his hand. The gentleman's eyes still bore apathetically into our own. His entire face besides his one eye was practically masked. "Good morning," his lazy voice began, "I'm Kakashi Hatake, your homeroom and Business sensei. And _you're late,_ " he sounded obviously unimpressed. Kakashi-sensei seemed intolerant of shit in any shape or form, hence his next concluding words, "Don't let it happen again."

We handed Kakashi-sensei our signed registration forms and he lazily scanned them and placed them on his desk, briefly thanking us before he faced the curiously silent class.

"Class, please welcome our new classmates. They're from Sunagakure, and yeah, that’s about it, nothing fancy. Play nice." he stated nonchalantly, barely seeming interested in introductions. I heard Temari huff behind me. He immediately directed Gaara to an open seat in the first row next to a short-haired brunette girl, who blushed as Gaara sat down. He made no effort to acknowledge her. Kakashi-sensei then directed me next to a blonde girl in the fourth row, Temari next to a black-haired girl in the third row, and Kankuro next to a white-haired guy with spectacles in the very back of the class.

I proceeded to my assigned seat as gracefully as I could under numerous stony gazes, scanning for Sasori and realizing that he wasn’t there. My eyes discerned the same grey pools from earlier during the walk to school. The shy girl hadn't seemed to come out from her shell. Again, she smiled shyly at me, and I returned an awkward smile as I passed her.

I glanced at Temari next to an apathetic looking girl who seemingly ignored the hell out of The Great Temari Sabaku. Oh hell, Temari was a natural blabbermouth, and she sure as hell hated being ignored. Her presence was to be front page news. Apparently, not this time. Konoha High sure planned to send a hell of a blow to the Sabaku pride. Well, at least Temari's.

Kankuro obviously bore no desire to build friendships with these individuals at all, and judging by his neighbour’s body language, neither did he.

Not everybody was welcoming. That was just the way it was. I couldn’t lie… I felt so out of place, literally like a fish out of water. Every single thing was so different compared to my hometown. Everything was so foreign. In a way, I didn’t realize how much I hated the drastic change until now. My thoughts immediately drifted to my mother, and I thought about what she would say if she were still around, and I felt a gentle ache tug at my heart.

"Kakashi-sensei tries to be intimidating and all, but trust me, he really doesn't give a fuck about any of us being late. That's _his_ job. He probably just showed up early today to leave a good first impression on you guys as the new students," I overheard the high-pitched voice of the blonde girl next to me as she stared at me expectantly.

I idly blinked at her as she snapped me out of my nostalgic thoughts. I didn’t know how to respond without coming across as awkward, and my mind was barely with me.

The girl chuckled before speaking again, realizing that she had caught me off guard. "I'm Ino Yamanaka, by the way," she smiled kindly. "It's nice to have some fresh faces around here. It gets boring with all these ugly familiar faces," her voice indicated that she was joking.

Automatically, I found myself sharing a laugh with her before I introduced myself in return. "Akane Sabaku, a pleasure."

"…Troublesome," I overheard a guy with a ponytail mutter lazily beside our desk. He seemed to have grabbed Ino's attention too.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you over my _pig-headedness_ ," Ino spat, glaring at him.

I arched my brows, at a loss. _Well, that went from zero to one hundred really quickly._

He sent her a bored look. "I wasn't even talking to you, Ino," he sighed, averting his attention towards his brunette friend next to him. "Women…" he muttered disparagingly.

The brunette guy smiled at me with a mouthful of chips. The chips packet rested on his lap to remain hidden as he excluded himself from the squabble between the two. "’Sup, I'm Choji."

The boy with the ponytail next to him then reluctantly took initiative. "Shikamaru Nara."

"And I'm Naruto Uzumaki! The future Hokage!" a loud voice chimed in from behind Ino, causing my ears to flinch as I recognized the blond boy that directed us to the principal’s office earlier. Next to him, hard obsidian orbs met my own soft, aquamarine ones. He wore a mysterious, stony expression as he sat with his hands folded in front of his face, his jet-black bangs falling perfectly around his jawline. He remained silent.

 _Well, he might as well freeze me to death with those icy eyes._ Those eyes weren’t the most welcoming. 

Ino jolted in surprise, raising her fist reflexively. "Naruto!" she bellowed. "You can't just introduce yourself like _that_ every time, you little idiot!"

I inwardly chuckled, glancing at the blond boy. _He sure makes his presence known. What a character. I like this one._

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, lazily staring ahead, earning himself another, harder glare from Ino.

I assumed that was his catchphrase. I liked this one too.

**—**

** Sasuke’s POV. **

The new girl seems to make friends rather quickly. What was her name again? … Oh yeah, Akane, if my memory serves her introduction right. She didn’t make an effort to introduce herself to me like she did with everybody else, probably because she felt intimidated. It was better that way. It’s not like I was interested in befriending her or anyone anyway. As far as I knew, Naruto, Shisui, Jūgo and Suigetsu were my only friends. The rest could beat it. They were all only considered acquaintances anyway.

She was a looker, but I wasn’t going to grovel at her feet like the rest of the idiots who were making googly eyes at her. She was too focused on Kakashi-sensei’s lesson to notice her little fan club. Inuzuka seemed to join the fan club as well, clearly all flustered as he stared at her from a distant row, thinking he was discreet. _What an idiot. Birds of a feather flock together._

However, she didn’t seem standoffish, or behave like a prick, unlike me. I admitted that, so what. Although, I had to admit that it surprised me when she didn’t swoon over me when she saw me. Maybe she was one of the sly ones who’d do it on the low, like a certain someone... or maybe she just wasn’t annoying like the rest. Nonetheless, she wasn’t anything special as far as I could tell. I couldn’t care less. Wait…

Why am I even overanalyzing her?

**∗ ∗ ∗**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why are you, Sasuke? You tell us.


	6. Aren't You Glad You're You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Who am I, now that you're here?"

** Akane’s POV. **

Ino waved at an approaching girl as we stood at Kakashi-sensei's desk, ready to head towards Biology.

"Come on already, Sakura!" she whined at the unknown girl. The cotton candy-haired girl halted in her footsteps, curiously peering at me. Ino's grin was still adamant on her identity. "Hey, meet Akane, our new friend,"

"Hello," the girl piped up, her voice gentle but confident. "I'm Sakura Haruno," she smiled sweetly. "It's nice to meet you, Akane."

I reciprocated a closed mouth smile. "Likewise, Sakura. Any friend of Ino’s is a friend of mine,"

Sakura made small conversation with me as we walked to our lockers —which were all in the same wing— to retrieve our Biology books; asking me about how I was finding the first day, and my education before I transferred. I explained to her that we were home-schooled before, so we never really had social interactions during those years. Her expression showed surprise, and then she proceeded to ask me why, but before I could answer, Ino started babbling about how she hated the damn subject but still reluctantly stuck with it because it was a requirement to pursue a career in medicine. She groaned at the thought of sitting next to Shikamaru as we entered class. According to her, he was a genius and she desperately required his help despite how pissed she was at him. Whatever the reason was for the tension between him and Ino, wasn't my concern.

Temari walked ahead with the mysterious black-haired girl from homeroom. I narrowed my eyes oddly. That girl looked strangely familiar. I could’ve sworn I had seen her face before, but I couldn't quite pinpoint it.

I settled next to Gaara who had been silent since homeroom. His silence sometimes worried me. Despite being his twin sister, I occasionally had trouble reading him. Gaara mastered the skill of being enigmatic. He didn't allow people to read him, unless he wanted them to —which was a rare occurrence. It was one of the many similarities between us as crimson-haired siblings. Rasa's genes were evidently dominant in that aspect.

"Brother, how's your day so far?"

Gaara still stared straight ahead, averting only his eyes towards me, arms folded across his chest. "Sister," he acknowledged. "We've only been here an hour and these idiots are already giving me a headache. I'd prefer to be at home."

"Aw come on! We just got here. Give 'em a chance," I gave a light chuckle. "Lighten up. I'm feeling rather optimistic about these three years ahead, eh?" My smile vanished within an instant when a kunai suddenly flew into the back wall of the class, the piercing loud enough to fill the classroom and cut all buzzing conversations short. The aim was so precise, it surprisingly hadn't struck anyone, though ironically, everyone's attention.

"Enough." came a baritone from the front of the class.

I lost my visibility then too; the boy seated in front of me being taller than I was. I mentally groaned, resisting the urge to ask the person to scoot over unwillingly. I really didn't want to. I could've sworn Gaara read my mind. Before I knew it, he scooted my books over to his side and slid out of it, motioning for me to then swap so that he could sit behind the taller guy. I sent him a gratified closed-eye smile before focusing my attention ahead, wanting to avoid the risk of either of us being struck with a kunai this time.

The perpetrator stood postured in the front, porcelain skin glistening, contrasting his lavishly long charcoal hair. "Good morning," he began in a low voice. "Rumour has it that new students have transferred into this class, so for those who don't know me, I'm Orochimaru-sensei, everybody’s favourite sensei, but enough introductions," he paused, his sweet smile instantly twisting into a grim expression. A few students sniggered at him. "Today's lesson will be on Mitosis. I'd like to see how many in-depth details you remember on it. That way, I'll know exactly which sections I'll have to revise. You learnt this shit last year, so don’t horse around in my class." his voice contained a tone of slight malice.

Throughout chatter here and there, Orochimaru-sensei calmly continued his recap, unfazed by the few disinterested students. After all, he wasn't the one who'd fail the class. I clung to Orochimaru-sensei's every word that refreshed my memory, my hands folded in my lap as I kept my focus on his lesson.

"...The cell spends most of its life in what we call Interphase," he relayed. "Now, the cell basically copies its own DNA, hence the term, _Replication_. Why does DNA Replication occur?"

The silence that fell over the class was shocking in the least of words. Certain expressions clearly lit up to indicate that some knew the answer yet were reluctant to answer aloud in front of everyone.

Fuck that. Timidity did nothing but ever hold anybody back from reaching their full potential. I wasn’t about to fall victim to that.

"It's a way in which the cell prepares itself for the first stage of Mitosis," I muttered more to myself than Orochimaru-sensei.

Apparently, he had sharp audition. "Correct," he paused, the awaiting of my name clearly shown on his expression.

"Akane Sabaku, Sensei." I answered with initiative, still sitting as postured as usual.

Orochimaru-sensei simply gave a nod, returning to the lesson at hand. "And we identify that stage as?"

"Prophase," I automatically blurted out, gaining Orochimaru-sensei's attention once again.

"Describe that phase in your own words, _Akane_." he said as if he was trying to make my name stick.

I pondered for a second before answering. "Basically, chromatin condenses into chromosomes and the nuclear membrane breaks down, Sensei."

Orochimaru-sensei only counteracted with a new question after each answer, clearly hungry for more. His illegible expression remained intact. "What do we call the cells—"

"Eukaryotic cells," a deep voice came from a few desks back, cutting Orochimaru-sensei's question short. The white-haired boy with round spectacles smirked at me, plastering his identity into my head. He was Kankuro's neighbour in homeroom.

_Well damn, calm down. At least let Orochimaru-sensei complete the question._

"Excellent, Kabuto," Orochimaru-sensei smirked. "Now, name the rod-shaped structures in Prophase."

I opened my mouth to answer but was interrupted by the same cocky, low voice from a minute ago.

"Easy," Kabuto smirked smugly. "Chromosomes."

Orochimaru-sensei seemed quite satisfied with Kabuto's swift thinking. "How much of the cell duration does Metaphase account for?" he took it up a notch, his voice dead stern on receiving an accurate answer.

"Approximately four percent, Orochimaru-sensei," I answered sternly, quite confident in my answer. Truthfully, it wasn't a competition, but that was the impression this Kabuto guy was emanating _._ I simply answered questions I factually knew the answers to. After all, these were things that we were taught in home-school, and I constantly studied to retain that information. At this moment, it came in handy. The silence in the classroom was rather awkward, so I had taken the liberty of answering Orochimaru-sensei's questions. Kami knew why this Kabuto guy decided to pop up out of nowhere and interrupt the roll I was on during my first day. I was certain he was the brainiac in Biology before we transferred here. I was fresh off the boat for Kami's sake. It was only fair that I deserved an opportunity to prove my potential to Orochimaru-sensei.

However, it seemed Kabuto clung to the spotlight in this class, or he was a teacher’s pet who didn’t want to lose that title. I couldn't speak for all our subjects, but it seemed that my intellect bruised his ego, and he couldn't have himself going from hero to zero in Biology, so he decided to cockily smear his intelligence in my face. However, I was not to fret. The fact that he felt it was necessary to prove his apparent academic superiority to me —who was fresh meat —clearly proved that my intelligence prompted him to question his own. 

A small smirk graced my lips. I never backed down from a challenge, and I certainly wouldn’t start today. And I sure as hell wouldn't feign ignorance to appease his ass. If this kid wanted competition out of me, hell, competition he'd get. I never saw academic competition as a bad thing; it pushed me to do better and vice versa. He would only motivate my ambition.

"Tell me, Kabuto —in continuation to your answer —the centromeres of those chromosomes then convene themselves on the metaphase plate," Orochimaru-sensei paused, attempting an intimidating smirk. Unfortunately for him, his intent failed. I waited in anticipation with Kabuto for Orochimaru-sensei to complete his question, both of us eager to answer correctly before each other. I didn't care that the question was specifically directed at Kabuto. The class was all ears at this point, everyone listening intently to the so-called rivalry between Kabuto and me.

"Name a synonym for that plate." the question finally came.

"Equatorial plate, Orochimaru-sensei." Kabuto smugly blurted out before I had a chance to recall the name, causing me to groan disappointingly under myself.

Gaara stared at me, his eyes displaying surprise, but I didn't acknowledge it. To everyone's surprise, another question never came. Orochimaru-sensei simply smirked, satisfied with the output of the lesson for the time being.

"Passable, but it'll take more than a good memory to pass _my_ class." he concluded sharply, finally pulling the kunai out of the back wall before retreating to his desk to occupy himself.

Gee, I swore Kabuto's smirk was stitched into his face. Unwittingly, I found myself reciprocating a smirk at his arrogant demeanour, immediately beginning to jot down notes from the board for the remainder of the period.

As the class began preparing to head out, Orochimaru-sensei addressed us once more, "Please collect a worksheet from the front table on your way out. I want it completed by tomorrow, and no shitty answers. Dismissed."

Sarutobi-san was the Calculus sensei. He was a muscular gentleman, dark-skinned with faded black hair and dark orbs. He stood with his hands in his pockets as we proceeded past him. I felt like fucking cattle following the herd from class to class, but alas, I’d have to adapt quickly.

A whiff of tobacco caught my nostrils and I automatically scrunched my nose up in suspicion and disgust. I absolutely despised cigarettes and their revolting stench of tobacco. "Ino, tabako kusai?" _{Ino, do you smell tobacco?}_

"Oh, _that_. Asuma-sensei's smoking." her answer was surprisingly nonchalant.

I cocked an eyebrow, taken back by her indifferent tone. “Ressun-chū wa kinshi sa rete imasen ka?” _{Isn't that prohibited during lessons?}_

"It's nothing new," she shrugged. "Plus, Asuma-sensei's the best. Kare wa Shikamaru no kojin-tekina okiniiridesu,” _{He's Shikamaru's personal favourite.}_ She rolled her eyes for a second, clearly still begrudging Shikamaru. "Tsunade-san doesn't know about his habit during class though, but nobody snitches, you know? Watashitachi wa mina, kitanai chīsana shūkan no tsumi o okashite imasu.” Ino winked. _{We're all guilty of dirty little habits.}_

"Touché," I smirked in amused agreement, changing the subject. "Where do you sit?" I inquired, hoping to sit next to her again.

She sighed under her breath. "Anywhere except next to Shikamaru," she deliberately said as she passed him and slipped in behind him instead, leaving an empty seat next to him that I decided to fill. He ignored her remark. Shikamaru seemed chill, my type of guy. Ahem, in a friendly preference of course. He seemed like that unique friend who was mandatory for everyone to have to prevent them from going insane. Maybe he could teach me how to chill the fuck out sometimes, and even Temari, should the opportunity arise, which it probably would.

His eyes were closed, head leaned back with his hands intertwined behind it. When he suddenly felt movement beside him, he cocked an eye open, gazing lazily at me. "Math partner, huh?" I nodded, smiling as I whipped out my math tools. "Cool," a smirk played at his lips. "but troublesome."

My brows furrowed slightly in curiosity. “Mendō? Dōshite?” _{Troublesome? Why?}_

His open eye closed again. "Ino needs you more than I do. Her and Choji sitting next to each other in Math is probably the most troublesome idea for the both of 'em," his emerging smirk was now fully present on his identity.

Unintentionally, my lips caught it too. "Maybe," I shrugged, aware of his point. "but I thought I'd challenge you,"

Barely having time to rest, his one eye reopened, sparked with interest this time. “Dōiu imidesu ka?” _{What do you mean?}_

I felt my smirk grow. I knew I had now piqued his interest, for a reason I assumed he'd find surprising. Indeed, my assumption was precise. "At math,"

" **Nani?!** " Ino and Choji's eavesdropping behind us caused their jaws to drop to the floor at my proposed challenge to their apparent mathematician of a friend. _{What?!}_

Despite only knowing him for a few hours, I saw him smirk so wide for the first time that it eventually escalated into a genuine laugh. "Well, well. What do you know? Akane Sabaku wants to challenge me, Shikamaru Nara, in math?"

Before I could confirm, an unrecognizable feminine voice chimed into the conversation. The stranger took her seat beside our desk, rolling her eyes at his arrogance. "You think you're Einstein, Shikamaru?"

I caught sight of Temari winking at me from next to Kankuro in the front, his back facing us.

That's when it hit me.

There was something even more eye-catching about this girl that caused my eyes to narrow. That same familiar fair skin, chocolate almond eyes, and the same chocolate hair. Only, she had a side fringe and her hair was tied into loose pigtails that descended to the middle of her rib cage. In all honesty, she looked like the feminine version of Shikamaru.

He sighed; voice drenched in sarcasm. "Just the person I've been _itching_ to see,"

"Shikara-chan," Ino grinned from behind Shikamaru. The girl sent Ino and Choji an all too discernible lazy smile.

I sat there in bewildered silence before whispering to Shikamaru, "Who is she? I noticed that my sister has been hanging out with her all morning,"

He sighed and closed his eyes again, leaning his head back to rest on his hands. “Kanojo wa watashi no imōtodesu.” _{She's my sister.}_

She smiled lazily again, eyes on me this time. "I'm Shikara. It's nice to meet you, Akane. I've heard so much about you already,"

I automatically reciprocated a toothy smile, surprised at her warm personality. Regarding the fact that she was Shikamaru's sister, I expected their personalities to be as strikingly similar as their physical appearances. Then again, I shouldn't be prejudice. They were different people after all.

"Really? Only good things I hope," I stole a quick glance at Temari, knowing she was Shikara's source of information. Shikara nodded confidently. "I immediately noticed the resemblance, but I figured it was probably coincidental," I shrugged, laughing sheepishly.

Shikara chuckled, her pen in hand. "Please, Akane. Don't get it twisted though. Sometimes, he _is_ the sister," her chuckle grew louder.

Her brother shot her a narrow glare, muttering his trademark, "What a drag. Isn't it enough that my best friend’s begrudging me and now my own sister's taking shots at me too?" he sighed in defeat. "This is _such_ a pain."

Asuma-sensei interrupted any further conversation from arising as he descended each row, cigarette resting between his lips as he issued worksheets to complete for the balance of the period.

The cafeteria was packed with various cliques at their preferred tables, more concerned with chatter than with their lunch collecting cold air.

Ino turned to face me as I retrieved a tray. "Dieting. I'll meet you at the table." She solely grabbed an apple, striding away towards an occupied table before I could respond. I swore I caught her mimicking a gag as she strode away.

Suddenly, I caught sight of the face I had been searching for all day. That cranberry hair couldn’t be overlooked.

“Sasori no danna!” I grinned, speeding over and embracing him. Sasori laughed, pleasantly surprised as he patted my back. A group of people behind him stared at me in surprise. _{Sasori, my man!}_ “How have you been?” I asked, resting my hands on his shoulders as I stared at him. “Kami, it’s been so long! You should visit soon!”

“Yo, Sasori. You know this hottie?” a silver-haired guy asked behind him, cocking his eyebrow as he smirked at me.

A blonde guy beside Sasori laughed, pointing at him. “See! I’m not the only one who calls you that. It just suits, okay?”

Sasori rolled his eyes at them, shaking his head. “This is my cousin, Akane,” he shot the silver-haired guy a glare. “And restrict your dick, Hidan.”

A few sniggers were heard from the group standing behind Sasori before he spoke again. “Tell me you’ve got Kakashi-sensei for homeroom?” he asked as more of a question.

I nodded, grinning at him. “Then that means we’re all in the same class,” he smiled.

“Oh really? Then why didn’t I see you in any classes this morning?” I cocked my eyebrow in playful suspicion.

Sasori shrugged. “We skipped. We weren’t in the mood for lame lessons. We only attend important classes,”

I rolled my eyes at him, chuckling. “They’re all important, Sasori no danna!”

“Yo. Don’t tell me this girl is the type to keep tabs on people,” a green-eyed guy behind him rolled his eyes. “Only time I keep tabs on motherfuckers is when they owe me money,” He suddenly frowned at the guy next to him. “Yo, Hidan, that reminds me. You still owe me money from the time I bought you a hotdog, bitch.”

The guy scowled at him. “That was last year, fucker!”

They continued to bicker between themselves as Sasori sighed. “Pay them no mind. Pay them nothing at all,”

A ginger-haired guy with piercings cleared his throat behind Sasori. “Sasori, are you going to introduce us properly or not? We don’t have all day,”

My siblings suddenly appeared behind me and excitedly greeted Sasori, except for Gaara, of course. Gaara simply took his hand after Temari jumped on Sasori as she hugged him and Kankuro roughly ruffled his cranberry hair with his arm around Sasori.

“Sasori no danna!” Kankuro grinned.

“Stop staying away from us, you bum!” Temari pouted playfully, resting her hand on her hip as she held a lunch tray with the other. “We live here now, so you’ve got no excuse to not visit.”

Sasori chuckled before clearing his throat, turning to glance from his group to us. “Right. Everybody, this is,” he gestured to each of my siblings as he introduced them. “Temari, Kankuro and Gaara. They’re Akane’s siblings, so they’re all my cousins.” He smiled sheepishly after, before introducing us to his friends.

Deidara was the blond guy, and Sasori’s best friend. He also addressed Sasori the same way we did. Hidan was the flirty silver-haired guy, and Kakuzu his best friend. Lastly, there was Zetzu, Yahiko Pain and Yahiko’s girlfriend, Konan.

Konan sent me a warm smile before Sasori addressed us one last time. “We’re gonna sit at our table. Catch you later, alright?”

“Yeah, un!” Deidara grinned next to him, snaking his arm around Sasori’s shoulder as they walked away.

I nodded before turning to my siblings. “I still have to get my lunch,”

Temari chuckled, glancing at a table where Shikara sat with Ino, Sakura, Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji and others that I haven’t yet been introduced to. “I’m sorted, girl. Shikara has mine with her. Catch you at the table,” she handed Kankuro’s tray back to him before striding away.

“Are you going to join us?” I asked my brothers.

“No. Kankuro and I are going to sit at our own table,” Gaara answered plainly, turning on his heel. Kankuro simply shrugged.

“How antisocial. I’m not surprised,” I rolled my eyes before walking towards the food section, but someone yanked my arm and stopped me midway.

“Yo, Akane,” Kakuzu pulled me aside, throwing his arm over my shoulder before he whispered in my ear, “You want some dope?”

“Huh?” I cocked my brow as I stared at him. He gestured towards the table his friends were sitting at. “My bro Zetzu over there supplies some if you want, but I handle all financial transactions. I’m like the cashier, ya’ dig? So, you interested?”

I laughed loudly in realization, my laugh only growing louder with each second. Kakuzu only arched a brow at me, wanting to know why I was cracking up the way I did and awaiting my answer. I wiped a tear from my eye and removed his arm from my shoulder. “No, thank you,” another chuckle escaped me. “I’ll keep it in mind though.” With that, I continued my way to finally get my lunch. I heard Kakuzu muttering something about being broke as he returned to his group.

Sloppy joes were on the menu for today. The lunch lady hastened to scoop the mince onto my bun, adding an orange juice. I briefly thanked the middle-aged woman before proceeding towards the fruit basket on the end of the counter, in desire of the last red apple.

 _Fuck. This just had to be a whole mission for a damn apple._ I struggled to balance my tray whilst reaching for it, clumsily causing it to roll off the counter and onto someone's leg, who effortlessly caught it and gracefully kicked it up to their hand, holding it out for me.

I looked up in surprise, feeling a tad embarrassed at my clumsiness. The pale hand holding my apple belonged to the same mysterious guy I sat in front of in homeroom.

He stared at me with hard onyx eyes, as if waiting for me to take initiative.

"Thanks," I managed to say, gently taking the fruit from his hand.

A minute of silence.

"Sasuke Uchiha." he muttered before sauntering away without another word, not giving me a chance to introduce myself in return. He probably grew impatient with my somewhat delayed character when I didn't take the initiative to formally introduce myself immediately after thanking him, knowing we were in the same class.

_Ah, shit. He’s an attractive one alright. Nice ass too._

I quickly shook my thoughts away, proceeding towards the table where Ino and the others sat. I caught sight of my brothers sitting at an isolated table in the far corner, eyeing me suspiciously, Gaara especially, as if I were engaging in shady business. I smiled, shaking my head. What in the world could be roaming their minds?

Ino saved me a seat, cutting her conversation with Sakura short to introduce me to the other strangers. I was first introduced to Rock Lee, Tenten and Sai, who all gave me kind smiles in acknowledgement. Lee introduced himself as ‘Konoha’s Handsome Young Devil’ whilst some of the girls mimicked gagging. Tenten simply rolled her eyes at him before swatting him on the head.

Secondly, Shino Aburame and Hinata Hyuga —who I recognized from earlier that day —and her cousin, Neji Hyuga. Hinata gave me a shy smile and Shino and Neji simply nodded in acknowledgment. Shino wasn’t much of a talker, more of an observer. Neither was Neji. He barely spoke to anyone other than Tenten, Lee and Hinata. The Hyuga cousins seemed close, and I found their resemblance quite cute. Lastly, the two ravens; Sasuke Uchiha and his cousin Shisui Uchiha. Shisui nodded in acknowledgement, a small smile on his lips as he did so. His cousin, well, he didn’t mention that we were acquainted since a few minutes ago.

“Actually, we’ve already met,” I mentioned, my tone rather plain. “He introduced himself earlier,” As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt everybody’s eyes on me. Sakura, Ino and Naruto’s eyes looked like they were about to bulge out of their sockets whilst the rest cocked their brows. Why did I suddenly feel like I shouldn’t have mentioned it? I internally sighed.

Sasuke remained silent, staring at me with hard eyes as he held his intertwined fingers in front of his face. I saw the irritation in his eyes as he felt everybody stealing glances at him, but he ignored them, staring a hole into my forehead instead. Next to him, Shisui arched a brow, his eyes lingering on Sasuke as if he were trying to figure something out.

**—**

** Sasuke’s POV. **

That damn girl. She was so clumsy. Barely knows how to take initiative either. I walked away from her after stating my name, just to let her know. We were in the same class after all. We had to become acquainted at some point in time. Rather early than late. She looked dumbstruck when I left, and I couldn’t resist smirking to myself once my back was turned to her, so she didn’t see it.

She had the nerve to mention that I already introduced myself to her when Ino attempted to introduce us. Fucking hell. Feeling everybody’s eyes on me annoyed the shit out of me. I didn’t even want to know what they thought, nor did I give a shit anyway.

On the other hand, I was rather surprised that Inuzuka wasn’t present during lunch. He probably didn’t have the balls to sit around her, if he had any balls in the first place. What an idiot. It’s not like she would’ve noticed him anyway. She was too busy chatting her mouth broken with Ino, barely noticing how I occasionally burned my eyes into her, barely giving me a second look. She wasn’t easy to read. Hell, I’d have to use my Sharingan to decipher her one of these days. Hn. What a waste of energy. That damn girl.

Shisui noticed my occasional glances at her and perked his brow at me. “What’s with you?” his voice was hushed.

“Nothing. I’m just thinking…”

_Who am I, now that you’re here?_

_Shit._

**∗ ∗ ∗**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "And I hate how you made me question myself when the problem was you all along."  
> -a.s.


	7. Eye Of The Beholder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Across a room, tangled up in his imagination, they had spent a lifetime together, by the time she said hello.”  
> -Atticus.

** Akane’s POV. **

_ Monday, January 27th. _

The following weeks passed in a blur.

I found myself returning home with a headache much of the time, which Rasa oddly questioned me about, but I repeatedly told him that it was due to the swamp of assignments. Hell, public education was undoubtedly more tiring than home-school. I had signed up for Shogi club on Thursday’s courtesy of Shikamaru's encouragement, him adding that it was the sole activity that he willingly invested time and effort into besides soccer. The lazy bum.

On the other hand, Temari and I had also signed up for Kirārizumu, an after-school dancing program that would take place every Friday. However, certain clubs would only initiate activity within the next two weeks as the Heads of the clubs required setup time. Ino, Sakura and Tenten were already members of Kirārizumu since their Freshman year and Ino persuaded Hinata to join so that she could come out of her shell. It took a lot of persuasion from Ino, but eventually it worked. I, myself, was looking forward to seeing what all that shyness and timidity hid underneath it, so I was excited about the future initiation of the clubs, especially Kirārizumu. _{Killer Rhythm}_ Ino attempted to persuade me to join the Cheerleading squad as well, but I simply wouldn’t have it. I refused. As much as I enjoy dancing, I prefer to do it without screaming my lungs out and waving pompoms in the air. And I was not in the mood to break a leg, literally. If there were classics, hip-hop, sensual, and upbeat music, I was game, but not, under any circumstances, cheerleading.

After classes weren’t compulsory, but I attended anyway. The extra help didn’t hurt. I just preferred to attend so that my academics could run smoothly. I always needed to stay on top of my game. It was a seamless pattern of assignments after one another, leaving all of us swamped in work most of the time, and I didn’t want my studies to suffer because of the heavy workload of projects. Hell, I hadn't even had the opportunity to free myself for sparring with any of my siblings. I used to spar with Temari once a week, although our sparring cycle was usually irregular and spontaneous whenever the motivation occurred, or when Rasa dropped passive-aggressive hints that we should. Not only with Temari and I, but also, even more, Gaara and Kankuro. Rasa passionately hated indolence. However, I just didn’t find the time to even consider sparring these days, and honestly, I wasn’t in the mood to physically tire myself out even more. My body has already been feeling drained all the time for some unknown reason, but I didn’t think anything of it, nor did I investigate it.  
I'd best complete my assignments in advance and get it out of the way one time. Rasa wouldn't be impressed if any of us neglected our academics. I was in no mood for his passive-aggressive bitching, and I doubt my siblings and Yashamaru were either.

I found no trace of either of my brothers or Temari after Biology, so I began walking home alone. Ino and Sakura had cheerleading practice to attend, and the rest left immediately after school. I hadn’t seen Temari since she left our last class with Shikara. The streets were quiet for some reason, barely any trace of other students around. Cars passed me occasionally as I admired the lush scenery and simultaneously heard birds chirping. The next thing I knew, I was being bolted over by a streak of white fluff, racing out of nowhere, knocking my books from my grasp as I skidded onto the ground on my ass.

"Gah!" I scowled, staring the perpetrator in the face —an all too familiar dog I remembered from a few weeks back —albeit the dog had grown extensively in height. _What the fuck? How did this dog grow so immensely within such a short duration? A Great Pyrenees takes approximately two years to grow to its maximum potential. The hell is this sorcery?_

The snowy-furred dog whimpered as he began trotting towards me, dipping his head before mine, continuing to whimper as if he attempted an apology. Still on my ass, I couldn't resist a chuckle. I don't know why I hadn't lifted myself off the ground at this point. I figured this was just one of those moments where you submit to something, even if you didn't plan for it, with no motivation to get back up whatsoever. Literally this time.

“...It's alright boy." I rubbed his snowy head, sighing to myself.

" **Akamaru! Where are you boy?** " I heard a masculine voice call out in search nearby. Within a minute, the voice suddenly attached itself to a physique that emerged from among the trees, a guy stopping dead in his tracks when his eyes fell on me on the floor, books still strewn beside me. I discerned the brunette as the boy I saw carry that same dog on his shoulder on our first day during our walk to school. A shade of red crossed his cheeks as he stared at me, at a struggle for approach, his mouth agape. "Uh..."

I stared at him, my mind blank, feeling a tad embarrassed about the state he found me in. “Hello,” my mouth softly managed.

We locked eyes for a few seconds in awkward silence before he extended his hand to help me to my feet, swiftly gathering my books after and dusting them off before handing them to me, all the while displaying an awkward expression.

I exhaled as I dusted myself off and straightened out my clothes simultaneously. I felt so drained for some reason and my head was slightly pounding, but I ignored the feeling. "Thanks,"

The dog retreated to his companion's side, nuzzling his head under the boy's hand.

"Hello...” his voice was soft, gentle. “I don't think we've really met before... well, not formally at least..." he blinked as if his eyes were deceiving him. "I'm Kiba Inuzuka. You’re... Akane?"

"That's right,"

 _Well, what do_ you _know_? _I meet everyone before I formally meet them._ My mind diverted back to the encounters with Naruto, Hinata and Shino a few weeks ago, the thought disappearing as quickly as it came.

Kiba cleared his throat. "Well, uh... I'm just relieved to have found Akamaru with you, rather than somebody else. I grew worried when he stayed away longer than he was supposed to,”

I stepped forward to pat Akamaru's head and he licked my palm in reciprocation. "Naw, he's too sweet for that, even though he completely ran me over," I chuckled, my eyes returning to Kiba.

He scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. "Oh, I'm sorry about that. He can be a real handful sometimes,"

"You've got two hands."

His gaze instantly fell to the floor, a crooked smirk gracing his lips. "Touché."

A breeze passed along in the silence, until Kiba cleared his throat again. "I was actually about to head home myself. If you are, that is. Do you… wanna walk together?"

I shook my head. "Yeah, sure,"

I realized that I hadn’t seen him in Biology at all. He obviously didn’t attend the after-class. I would’ve seen him. Maybe Biology wasn’t his thing. Either that, or he didn’t need the extra lessons. To my surprise, he offered to carry my books, but I politely declined, insisting that it was no trouble at all.

_Tch, yeah right. As if I have any itching desire to depend on a man other than the men in my household._

Akamaru followed on Kiba's left, Kiba resting his hands in his pockets as we walked. "So, how are you finding being a newbie at school? We don't have transfers often. Transferring schools aren't always easy, I've heard." he added.

I shook my head. "No, my siblings and I were home-schooled up until last year. It’s very different from what I used to know... sometimes I still feel like a fish out of water. I just never imagined it for myself, I guess, but I'm starting to get the hang of things by now," I replied. "I'm coping with my subjects pretty well, seeing as I studied the same subjects since my freshman year," my eyes averted to him to find his gaze lingering on me. "As for Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, my siblings and I were personally trained by our Father, Uncle and Sensei since we were five."

"Any extracurricular?"

"Shogi and Kirārizumu, but the Dance Club only initiates in two weeks." I caught him smirking. “Omoshirokatta? Watashi o keihatsu shimasu.” _{Amused? Enlighten me.}_

"Shikamaru's known to give every shogi player a run for their money. He's been the apex player in that club ever since freshman year," Kiba stated, his expression patently evident to his statement. "Even the Head of the Shogi Club, Asuma-sensei, hasn't ever beat him, no one has so far. As for Kirārizumu, did you sign up because you enjoy dancing?”

“Challenge accepted,” I smirked. A mental challenge would be good. "And yes, dancing is fun. It helps you dance your troubles away.”

A laugh escaped Kiba's lips as his hands relaxed behind his head. I could tell that he anticipated a different reaction, contrary to my own, but I left it at that. I descried my house a few steps ahead and halted when we reached it, nodding to Kiba as an indication that I had reached my destination.

His face twisted cognitively, lips forming into a crooked smirk as his eyes danced on me. "You're _sui generis_ , Akane. I can tell."

Unwittingly, my lips contorted into a smile that reached my eyes. I heard Kiba mumble something, his gaze towards the ground, but it was too unclear for me to comprehend.

He met my eyes once more. "I'm glad to have met a new friend," he smiled closed mouth. "I’ll... see you around?"

A chuckle escaped my lips. "Happy to have met you too, _friend_ ," my smile was still prominent. "Definitely."

Kiba turned to leave, a pleasant look plastered on his identity as he waved goodbye.

Smiling at Akamaru one last time, I locked the door behind me. Once again, I found myself in solitude, silence roaring throughout the house.

**—**

** Kiba’s POV. **

**_∼_ ** **_Flashback_ ** **_∼_ **

_Akamaru and I sat on a field, planning our first training exercise for the day. I opted out of Biology after classes. I wasn’t in the mood for it, nor that annoying Orochimaru, so I decided to use the extra time for training. Akamaru patiently sat, docile on the grass as he stared at me. I pulled a_ _Seichō capsule out of my pocket._

_“Alright, boy. You’re gonna take this pill, alright?” I instructed, gently patting his head. “These pills are going to boost your growth and energy for an hour until the effects wear off.” He stared at me in understanding. “What’s more, you’re gonna take a few laps around the area to see how it affects your body in exercise. We won’t learn anything from these pills if you remain idle after consuming them. But remember boy, the aim is to run as fast as you can to see exactly how potent these capsules are. Keep in mind, since we haven’t used it before, I can’t guarantee that it’ll last longer. This is just a test run. Since it’s foreign to your system, be prepared for it to wear you out at any given time, alright?” He stood, ready to begin. I threw the capsule into the air and he jumped to catch it in his mouth. A streak of white encased him, and I immediately sensed the drastic boost in his energy._

_“Alright boy. I’m timing you. You’ve got fifteen minutes to get back, alright? Atta boy!” He bolted off as instructed, leaving me to patiently lay back on the grass, checking my phone’s time every five minutes._

Half an hour had already passed and Akamaru still hadn’t returned. I grew slightly worried, so I decided to track him down. The poor dude could’ve been passed out somewhere for all I knew. We didn’t exactly know what the aftereffects could do to his body. I called out to him numerous times, but to no avail. As paranoid as I was, I didn’t give up.

“ **Akamaru!** ” I called out for the hundredth time, sighing in exasperation. “ **Akamaru! Where are you, boy?** ”

The area was eerily quiet, and then a yelp from nearby caught my attention. I followed the sound through the trees, coming face to face with the last person I had expected.

_Akane._

When I saw her, everything in my head went quiet. 

She was on her ass, looking rather caught off guard as Akamaru grovelled to her.

I failed to conceal my surprise at seeing her, and I could barely address her without struggle, seemingly forgetting how to speak clearly. This beautiful girl was the one who caught _me_ off guard. Instantly, I felt the heat rising in my face as we locked eyes in awkward silence. Kami, I hoped she wouldn’t notice it too much. Not at all. She was so beautiful… it was absolutely beyond my comprehension.

 _Fucking say something, Kiba. Don’t just stand here looking like a retarded idiot,_ I internally scolded myself. After finally working up the courage to speak properly, I helped her off the ground and gathered her books for her. I even offered to carry them, but she declined, and I instantly felt like an idiot. Using this as an opportunity to spend time with her, I lied about having to head home myself, just so that I could walk her home. _Yeah right, Kiba. Who're you kidding? You've barely been out here an hour. You never head home this early._

It wasn’t entirely a lie though; I could see that Akamaru was worn out. She must’ve thought I was trying way too hard to impress her. Could anyone blame me though? I mean… just look at the girl. She didn’t realize how much of a goddess she looked like. I told myself to stop panicking and just try to initiate conversation with her. I strayed further and further away from my house as I walked her to her own, sensing Akamaru’s puzzlement as I did. He must’ve wondered what the hell was going on. Our usual training duration was two hours, and an hour had barely passed since we arrived at the field, but hell, I wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass me by.

Based on her tone when speaking to me, I could tell that she was a warm person, but not one to easily open up to just anyone. She didn’t seem like the type to back down either, always ready for a challenge. Honestly, I found it kind of hot. I tried to be discreet about the glances I stole at her, but her eyes were as sharp as they were beautiful. She must’ve thought I was some weirdo who couldn’t control my eyes around her. I mentally screamed at myself for how obvious I came across. _Fucking idiot. Stop staring at her! You’ll freak her out!_

The walk ended too soon. Time flies when you’re having fun. We established that we were friends now, and my heart did a flip-flop. _Calm down, she literally just friend zoned you,_ the voice inside my head told me. She was sui generis, I could tell, and I voiced that. However, I don’t think she heard me mutter that she was beautiful as she walked further towards her porch…

**—**

** Akane’s POV. **

Where the hell were any of my siblings? Where was Rasa? Last time I checked, he resigned as Kazekage and left Suna in the past. Whatever could’ve been occupying his time so frequently? I was certain that he would’ve been home, awaiting our arrival. Then again, I had to remind myself from time to time that _that_ wasn't my father's character. On the other hand, I at least expected Yashamaru to be present. Surprisingly, he was preoccupied with his own activities that, as far as I knew, none of us —excluding my father— had any clue of. With that third eye of Rasa’s, nothing could slip past him. Either way, I also knew that he didn't give a fuck.

After changing into comfortable garments, I descended towards the kitchen. I was hungry as shit. I was _always_ hungry.

I froze in the threshold of the kitchen, my eyes fixated on the indiscernible figure before me, and I screamed bloody murder.

_What the…?_

**∗ ∗ ∗**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The summary quote originally contains 'her' and 'he' pronouns, but I altered the pronouns just to accommodate the story a bit more. No disrespect to Atticus' original quote though, much respect to his character.


End file.
